Sealing strip



y 1957 R. J. CALLAN 2,799,062

SEALING swan Filed April 7, 1954 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 000000000 oooooooooz;

R. J. CALLAN SEALING STRIP July 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1954 SEALING STRIP Robert .J. Callan, Aliton, Mo., assignor to Magic Chef, Inc St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 7, 1954, 'Serial No. 421,605

Claims. ((11. 20-69) Thisinvention relates to scaling strips, and more particularly -;to :a sealing strip vfor use with an appliance such as an air conditioner which .is .mountedina doublehung window.

Among the several objects of :the invention may be noted the provision of a sealing strip of the .class .described which is adapted to .provide a seal not only between the top :of the appliance and 'the lower rail of the lowersash ofthe window, but .also betweenlithe sides of the appliance .and filler panels such :as are usually provided to fillin spaces between the :sidesof the appliances and the sides of :the window frame; the :provision of a sealing :strip of this class which is furtheradapted to provide a seal between component :parts of the appliance, as between the usual bulkhead and exterior cabinet of a room air conditioner and between the usual removable interior cabinet and the exterior cabinet; and the provision of :a sealing strip such as described which is economical to manufacture and simplifies the installation of the appliance in a window. Otherobjects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed-out :hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying -drawings, in which one-of -various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a view in perspective illustrating an installation of the exterior cabinet of a room air conditioner in a double-hung window utilizing a sealing strip of this invention, prior to insertion of the refrigeration unit of the air conditioner in the-exterior cabinet;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal cross section showing the refrigeration unit and the interior cabinet in place; 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section in perspective showing the lower sash raised;

.Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. ,3 illustrating the lower sash lowered;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on .line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal cross section taken on line .6,6 cf Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Corresponding reference characters indicate :cor-respondingparts throughout the several views ofthe drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a typical installation of a room air conditioner (designated in its entirety by reference character 1) in a double-hung window 3 utilizing a sealing strip 5 of this invention. The sides of the window frame are designated 7. The window sill is designated 9. The lower sash of the window is indicated at 11, and the lower rail of the lower sash is designated 13. The air conditioner 1, as herein illustrated, is of the type disclosed in my copending application entitled Air Circulation Systems, Serial No. 416,317, filed March 15, 1954. In general, it comprises a refrigeration unit A (Fig. 2) which fitsin an opennited States Patent plus the widthof the exterior cabinet.

2,799,062 Patented July 16, 1957 ice . 2 bottom :eXter-ior cabinet .3. Unit A comprises a :base 15 in the form of a pan. A bulkhead 17 extends upward firorn the base .15 adjacent its inside or front end. An evaporator :19 {is amounted on the base in front of the bulkhead .Onthe outside of the bulkhead is a centrifugal fan .21. Air :is drawn into the fan housing'23 through an opening .25 .in the bulkhead and delivered into a head .27. From the hood, the air flows :through ;a duct 29 to an outlet :31 .at the top of the :front :of the removable interior cabinet C of the air conditioner.

The 'IOP'LOf the interiorcabinet C constitutes the topofthe duct. 'There .is ;also .shown the usual compressor .33, condenser '35, condenser fan :37, and motor .39 for driv- .ing .both fans lland 37.. The base 15 is ,slidable ;on rails 41 --into. the exteriorcabinet B to a position'svhere :the bulkhead is at the frontend of the exterior cabinet.

Aslthus installed, the base 15 servesas a bottom for-the exterior cabinet. The rails .41 .extend along :the lower edges-of the sides of the exterior cabinet, .and project inward from the front end of the cabinet.

: The .exterior cabinet B, at its forward end, has side fianges =43 !(see Fig. -6 ),.a top flange 45 (see Fig. 2;), :and

a bottom Lflange 47 generally in the same .plane as :the bulkhead 17. Theside and top 'flanges,.as shown, .mayibe integral with the :sides and ;.top of the cabinet. The bottom flange 47 is the downwardly extending leg .of .an angle bar 49 which extends transversely between the rails -41 and'w'hich is seemed as by welding to the bottom of the rails. In installing the air conditioner, the exterior-cabinet B including the rails :41 is placed in the window before unit A is installed. The inner end of -.-t'he cab'inet is generally centered between the sides 7 of the window frame and is longitudinally positioned with flange-47 engaging the outer edge of the window sill 9 (see Fig. '2'). Thisdeterm'ines a positionof the exterior cabinet in which its inner end (including top flan-geh45) is slightly "forward of the inside face of the lower rail 1' 3-of'the lower-sash-of the window. Theprojecting forward ends of the 'rails41 overlie the window sill 9, and clamps 51 secured tothe-rails A1 are employed to. clamp the rails to the sill.

After :the installation of the exterior-cabinet-B as described, the sealing strip '5 is applied to extend around the side and top fia-nges 43 and 45 at the inner end ofthe exterior cabinet. This is accomplished with the lower sash raised. The sealing strip is cut from a continuous strip to have a "length corresponding to twice the height Y The strip maybe fo'rmedof rubber or any other suitable-material, including "variousplastics and metal. -It is made asby extru- .sion to have such shape in cross section as to '-provide' a channel section 53 for receiving the side and top flanges 43 and 45. The depth of channel section 53 is greater thanits width. One side 55 .of the channelsection 53 is :narrower ihan the .other side 57. A web 59 extends laterally-outward from the outer edge of the-narrow side :55. Flihisyweb hasza rib ti1onli5 side toward the base-of the channel 53 providing a filler panel receiving groove 63 between the .rib and side 55. A .reentrant -,cu-r.ved -.skirt 65 extends .from .the outer "edge of the .Web toward the narrow side of the channel over the groove 63. The portion of the wide side 57 extending beyond the narrow side is designated 67. A longitudinal head 69 projects laterally outward from the wide side 57. In order to fit the sealing strip 5 around the top corners of the inner end of the exterior cabinet, it is notched as indicated at 71 where it is bent around the corners. The sealing strip is applied with the narrow side 55 on the outside of flanges 43 and 45, and with web 59 engaging the sides and top of the cabinet.

Filler panels 73 are cut to fit in the spaces between the sides of the exterior cabinet and the sides of the window frame, and are provided with plan channel-section sealing strips 75 extending around their bottom, outside and top edges. The filler panels 73 are fitted in the stated spaces with their inner edges received in the groove 63 in the portions of the sealing strip at the sides ofthe exterior cabinet. Skirt 65 may be readily bent away from the narrow side 55 of channel 53 to fit the inner edges of the panels in the groove. Spring clips 77 are set in the sash channels 79 in the sides of the window frame to retain the panels in sealing engagement with the outer edge of the window sill and the inner sides of the sash channels.

After the filler panels are in place, the unit A is inserted into the exterior cabinet B to the point where the bulkhead 17 is located at the inner end of the cabinet as shown best in Fig. 2. In sliding the unit A into the exterior cabinet, the top and sides of the bulkhead engage the portion 67 of side 57 which projects beyond the web 59, and bend it outward as shown in Figs. 2-4. This provides a seal between the top and sides of the exterior cabinet at its inner end and the bulkhead. The lower sash 11 is then lowered so that the lower rail 13 of the sash (which slides downward on the outside of the channel 53) engages the skirt 65 and bends it downward as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The lower rail also engages the portions of the sealing strips 75 along the top edges of the filler panels 73 (see Fig. This provides a seal all along the lower rail of the lower sash. A felt strip 81 is tucked in between the base and the window sill. Finally, the interior cabinet C is applied to enclose the inwardly projecting portion of unit A. The top and side edges of the outer end of the interior cabinet engage the side 57 of the channel 53 within the bead 69, the latter providing a trim to cover any discrepancies in the fit between the interior cabinet and the sealing strip.

From the above, it will be seen that the single sealing strip 5 provides an air-tight seal between the top of the inner end of the exterior cabinet B and the lower sash, between the sides of the inner end of the exterior cabinet and the filler panels 73, between the top and sides of the exterior cabinet at its inner end with the bulkhead 17, and between the top and sides of the removable interior cabinet C at its outer end and the inner end of the exterior cabinet. It eliminates any necessity for the use of mastic such as has heretofore been employed for caulking along the sides of the exterior cabinet, and greatly simplifies the installation of the air conditioner in a window.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. A sealing strip for use with an appliance which is mounted in a window opening, said strip being of such shape in cross section as to provide a flange-receiving channel, the depth of said channel being greater than its width, and a web extending laterally outward from the outer edge of one side of the channel, said web having a filler-panel-receiving groove in the side thereof toward the base of the channel, and a skirt extending from the outer edge of the web toward the channel over the groove.

2. A sealing strip for use with an appliance which is mounted in a window opening, said strip being of such shape in cross section as to provide a flange-receiving channel, the depth of said channel being greater than its width, and a web extending laterally outward from the outer edge of one side of the channel, said web having a filler-panel-receiving groove in the side thereof toward the base of the channel, a longitudinal bead projecting laterally outward from the other side of the channel, and a re-entrant curved skirt extending from the outer edge of the web toward the channel over the groove.

3. A sealing strip for use with an appliance which is mounted in a window opening, said strip being of such shape in cross section as to provide a flange-receiving channel, the depth of said channel being greater than its width, one side of the channel being narrower than the other, a. web extending laterally outward from the outer edge of said narrower side of the channel, said web having a filler-panel-receiving groove in the side thereof toward the base of the channel, and a skirt extending from the outer edge of the web toward said narrower side of the channel over the groove.

4. A sealing strip for use with an appliance which is mounted in a window opening, said strip being of such shape in cross section as to provide a flange-receiving channel, the depth of said channel being greater than its width, one side of the channel being narrower than the other, and a web extending laterally outward from the outer edge of said narrower side of the channel, said web having a filler-panel-receiving groove in the side thereof toward the base of the channel, and a longitudinal bead projecting laterally outward from the wider side of the channel, and a re-entrant curved skirt extending from the outer edge of the web toward the narrower side of the channel over the groove.

5. A sealing strip for use with an appliance which is mounted in a window opening, said strip being of such shape in cross section as to provide a flange-receiving channel, the depth of said channel being greater than its width, one side of the channel being narrower than the other, and a web extending laterally outward from the outer edge of said narrower side of the channel, said web .having a rib on the side thereof toward the base of the channel providing a filler-panelreceiving groove between the rib and said narrower side of the channel, a longitudinal bead projecting laterally outward from the wider side of the channel, and a re-entrant curved skirt extending from the outer edge of the web toward the narrower side of the channel over the groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,215,889 Swedman Sept. 24, 1940 2,234,771 Moore Mar. 11, 1941 2,269,205 Hubbard Jan. 6, 1942 2,296,024 Drake Sept. 15, 1942 2,311,045 Goulooze Feb. 16, 1943 2,316,704 Moore Apr. 13, 1943 2,469,955 Eberhart May 10, 1949 2,638,755 Borgerd May 19, 1953 2,684,508 Meyers et al July 27, 1954 

